Cutbacks a Kick in the Teeth for Tourism: Sanders

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, has reacted with anger to reports that the new chairman of VisitBritain, the body that promotes the UK as a tourist destination overseas, will work just six days a month.

The hours have been cut in an apparent attempt to make the £45,000 a year position more attractive to applicants, a move that has caused outrage within the tourist industry.

Adrian commented:

“Not only is it absurd that these cutbacks are being made in the run up to what will be an enormous campaign ahead of the 2012 Olympics, but it’s an insult to areas in the UK, such as Torbay, that rely on the tourist economy.

“The head of VisitBritain was working just eight days a month which in itself was wholly insufficient. This further cutback, added to the government’s complete negligence towards supporting the sector in this country, is just a further kick in the teeth for both national and local tourist industries”.

The Bay MP is set to launch a consultation into tourism in the Bay, where local businesses will be invited to offer solutions to problems within the local tourist industry